MOTEL-RESTAURANT TAX DOLLARS ARE ALREADY EARMARKED

The Colonial Cape Girardeau Foundation wants $75,000 a year from motel and restaurant tax revenue to help operate the Old St. Vincent's College as a Civil War museum and cultural center.

The Cape Girardeau City Council has agreed to meet with the foundation about the request after the new city manager comes on board Oct. 16.

The motel and restaurant tax is a steady source of revenue for Cape Girardeau tourism efforts. The problem is that most of the money is already earmarked for other projects.

The city tax is expected to generate about $850,000 during the current fiscal year. About $300,000 of that is budgeted for the Convention and Visitors Bureau. Another $465,000 will be spent to retire the bonds used to construct the Show Me Center as well as $3.5 million in bonds for construction of the softball complex and community center.

The latter two projects have been scaled back due to cost constraints and will be rebid this fall. It has been suggested that any excess motel and restaurant tax money be used to restore items that were cut from the softball complex and community center.

These projects definitely deserve priority in terms of earmarking any additional funding. The city is already obligated to proceed with the softball complex and community center.

The motel and restaurant tax wouldn't provide a permanent source of funding for the Colonial Cape Foundation. The tax will expire in nine years when the Show Me Center bonds are retired. Extending the tax would require voter approval.

Extending the tax dollars to a private operation could set an unwanted precedent. Other private groups might also request a piece of the pie to operate other tourist attractions. Where would the city council draw the line?

Establishing the Old St. Vincent's College as a Civil War museum and cultural center is a major undertaking that will require a considerable investment of money and time, particularly from private sources. The council may want to see the project move much closer to reality before it commits any tax dollars.